School's Out For Summer!

It's hard to believe that another school year is over and I now have a 5th grader and a freshman in high school!! I'm sure it will all sink in when we go buy uniforms for Emily and order her text books.

Emily graduated from 8th Grade last Wednesday. Each of the graduates spoke or performed during graduation - that's possible when there are only six graduates! Emily sang the Star Spangled Banner and she did an awesome job. I had more than one parent tell me that she made them cry. While she was singing, Emily's cap fell off; she was fine and kept going but the other two girls that were graduating started to laugh which caused Emily to have to try not to laugh. Paul said it was a good thing because she was much too serious up to that point.

In addition to receiving her diploma, Emily was also awarded a Presidential Award for Educational Excellence. After the graduation ceremony, there was a reception on the patio outside of the church and then we went out to dinner with two of the other families of graduates. It was a long night but a lot of fun. We are so proud of Emily for her outstanding academic record in Elementary and Middle School and for her acceptance to High School with honors. I still can't believe that she's old enough to go to High School!

Emily being presented with her diploma



Emily and her teachers at the reception following graduation

The dress Emily picked out to wear to her graduation was great with her eyes but whoa when did she get so grown up looking?

Hannah's last day of school was last Thursday and she is truly going to miss her teacher next year though she's been invited to stop in for the weekly tea party any time. Being the only girl in the class, she and her teacher truly bonded. Hannah had a great 4th grade year and is just hoping that some how, some way we'll get at least one more girl for 5th grade next year!

Visions of the Future ...

In just over a week, Emily will be graduating from 8th grade and leaving behind the only school she has attended since Kindergarten. It amazes me to think that she'll be in high school in the fall. It's an exciting time for her and for the rest of us but scary too - at least for me it's scary.

As part of the graduation ceremony, each of the 8th graders receives a certificate of graduation and an 8x10 photo of themselves in cap & gown. Last year the company that does our school photos did the cap & gown photos but they will only do them if the school has spring photos done of all the kids. This year the school didn't want that done but we still wanted cap & gown photos. So, we ended up buying caps & gowns (2 each in the colors for the girls & boys) and I took photos of the 8th graders in their caps & gowns in front of one of the stained glass windows of the church. Technically I think they could have been better but overall I'm pleased with the way they turned out. What do you think of the one Emily picked as her favorite?

And to think that in four years Emily will be graduating from high school and it will be Hannah's turn for an 8th grade graduation!

We're going to Disneyland!

Okay, so we already did and to Disney's California Adventure too and to a TV taping and to the girls' Spring Dance Performances all on top of Paul, Emily & Hannah being sick! Whew - what an insane time the last few weeks have been!

So, where to start? Let's start near the end of the illnesses and the beginning of last weekend's whirlwind. The girls and I attended a taping of the Disney Channel Show, Hannah Montana. We lucked into this as guests of Miley Cyrus through a friend of mine who was visiting from Michigan with her daughter. The taping was a lot of fun for all of us - well except for the part where my friend and I were forced into dancing in front of the audience by the MC and our children! That was mortifying. Why is it that my children love to get up and entertain the world and I have absolutely no desire to have any part of that? Emily & Hannah really enjoyed watching the taping, getting to know Noah Cyrus a little (since she was sitting with us) and meeting Miley Cyrus after the taping was over. Emily wants me to cultivate my friendships more so she can go to tapings every week - I think not.

Saturday brought the annual Spring Dance shows. Both Emily and Hannah were in the Junior Show at 11am which meant a 10am call and they were worn out from all the excitement on Friday night but we made it on time, in costume with hair and makeup done. Emily hadn't danced at the dress rehearsal on Thursday since she was still sick - she did attend and watch but she was too dizzy to dance - but she felt fine on Saturday. That was a good thing because in addition to the Junior Show at 11am, Emily was also in one number in the Senior Show at 5pm. Paul & I went to both shows and Hannah went to the Senior Show.

Hannah was in two numbers this year. The first was with her ballet class and the second was with her jazz class but was a musical theatre number to It's a Hard Knock Life from Annie and not a jazz number.

Emily was in a number with her ballet class and a number with her jazz class in the Junior Show. In the Senior Show, she was in a number with her hip hop class. Next year, Emily will most likely just be in the Senior Show since she'll probably end up promoted to the Intermediate level.

As if that wasn't enough for one weekend, on Sunday the girls and I went to Disneyland & California Adventure. It was crowded and hot but we got on most of the rides we wanted to ride and loved the fireworks. It was a long day but lots of fun too!

Then it was back to real life and school work. Hannah's in 4th grade which means a Mission Report! Her report and mission were due at school this week. Most everyone we know builds their mission from a kit but not in our family. Emily built hers out of sculpey. It was very cool but what do you do with a mission? They're hard to store and made out of sculpey it's heavy too. I have a friend who teaches 4th grade and her whole class builds their missions out of pound cake. So, that's what Hannah's was made out of. It turned out really cute too and the class is going to eat it tomorrow after Hannah gives her mission report! Problem of what to do with a mission solved!

What a whirlwind but things have calmed back down, right? Well, not really because in the next two weeks we have more reports due, finals, ditch day, end of year parties, graduation and lots more! Oh and about Disneyland - Emily is going again on Ditch Day!